Centre stopping Beas water on pretext of repairs will affect Prez's, PM's homes: Chadha

New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board Vice-Chairperson Raghav Chadha on Thursday said that the Central government is going to stop 232 MGD of water coming from the Beas river to Delhi for a month which is expected to create havoc in the Capital.

While Chadha said that Delhi gets a lot of its water from the ground, residents are also heavily dependent on water from Yamuna, Ganges and Beas. He claimed that the Beas provides 25 per cent of Delhi's total water supply. He said, the agency of Union Jal Shakti Ministry, BBMB is going to close Beas Hydel Channel from 25th March to 24th April on the pretext of repair and maintenance.

"Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) is under the central government. In the name of repairing work, BBMB is trying to stop this water supply," he said.

Chadha added that the DJB had written to the BBMB along with the Centre and the Haryana Government, requesting to put maintenance work on hold and not to reduce the water supply in Delhi.

He added, "Due to the affected water supply in Delhi, the President's House, Prime Minister's residence and many other institutions of national and international importance to be affected."

"The Ravi Beas river comes from the Nangal area and it provides 25 per cent of water to the citizens of Delhi. We got to know that the Central government has planned to stop the supply of water from the Beas river for one month. The Central government is starting a repair work that will create complete closure of the Nangal hydel channel," Chadha said.

Questioning the discontinuation of water supply, the AAP leader said, "Under the protection of the law, Delhi is supposed to get this 232 MGD of water. The citizens of Delhi get this Beas water depending on an MOU signed in 1981 and there was a Supreme Court order dated May 10, 2020. Both these documents clearly note that it is the right of every citizen of Delhi to receive this 232 MGD of water supply in the national Capital.